House Agriculture Committee members named

Agriculture Committee Chair Collin C. Peterson of Minnesota has announced the Members of Congress selected to serve on the House Agriculture Committee for the 111th Congress.

The House Democratic Steering Committee, includes 11 freshmen members and 17 returning members.

The House Republican Conference has named 17 Republicans to serve on the Committee and has left one seat vacant.

"The Agriculture Committee is responsible for issues as varied as farm programs, commodity markets, nutrition, conservation, renewable energy, and rural development, so the diverse experiences of these members will bring new ideas and energy to our work on these important issues," Peterson said.

The 28 Democrats who will serve on the committee are:

. Chair Collin C. Peterson of Minnesota.

. Representative Tim Holden of Pennsylvania.

. Representative Mike McIntyre of North Carolina.

. Representative Leonard L. Boswell of Iowa.

. Representative Joe Baca of California.

. Representative Dennis A. Cardoza of California.

. Representative David Scott of Georgia.

. Representative Jim Marshall of Georgia.

. Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota.

. Representative Henry Cuellar of Texas.

. Representative Jim Costa of California.

. Representative Brad Ellsworth of Indiana.

. Representative Timothy J. Walz of Minnesota.

. Representative Kirsten E. Gillibrand of New York.

. Representative Steve Kagen of Wisconsin.

. Representative Kurt Schrader of Oregon.

. Representative Deborah L. Halvorson of Illinois.

. Representative Kathleen A. Dahlkemper of Pennsylvania.

. Representative Eric J. J. Massa of New York.

. Representative Bobby Bright of Alabama.

. Representative Betsy Markey of Colorado.

. Representative Frank Kratovil, Jr. of Maryland.

. Representative Mark H. Schauer of Michigan.

. Representative Larry Kissell of North Carolina.

. Representative John A. Boccieri of Ohio.

. Representative Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota.

. Representative Travis W. Childers of Mississippi.

. Representative Walt Minnick of Idaho.

The 17 Republicans (with one additional vacant seat) who will serve on the Committee are:

. Ranking Member Frank Lucas of Oklahoma.

. Representative Bob Goodlatte of Virginia.

. Representative Jerry Moran of Kansas.

. Representative Timothy V. Johnson of Illinois.

. Representative Sam Graves of Missouri.

. Representative Mike Rogers of Alabama.

. Representative Steve King of Iowa.

. Representative Randy Neugebauer of Texas.

. Representative Virginia Foxx of North Carolina.

. Representative K. Michael Conaway of Texas.

. Representative Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska.

. Representative Jean Schmidt of Ohio.

. Representative Adrian Smith of Nebraska.

. Representative Robert E. Latta of Ohio.

. Representative Phil Roe of Tennessee.

. Representative Blaine Luetkemeyer of Missouri.

. Representative Glenn W. Thompson of Pennsylvania.

The House Agriculture Committee has jurisdiction over a wide range of agriculture and rural development issues. These areas include renewable energy, disaster assistance, nutrition, crop insurance, conservation, international trade, futures market regulation, animal and plant health, agricultural research, bioterrorism, forestry, and others.